Antroposofia e trimembração social: uma análise fenomenológica da gestão na Escola Waldorf Rural Turmalina

Abstract

Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy is a subject that has been relatively underexplored in the field of Organizational Management, though there are numerous references to it in other areas such as Health, Education, Arts, and Agriculture. Similarly, Social Threefolding, based on the principles of the French Revolution and associated with salutogenesis and the free association of individuals in communities, also lacks specific studies in the area of organizational management. Nevertheless, both anthroposophical principles hold theoretical value and potential for application in organizational management due to their foundations of self-management, sociocracy, associativism, self-development, self-responsibility, and group decisionmaking. To address this gap in the literature, this study sought to understand how Social Threefolding can be applied in the management of an organization, initially exploring its cultural-philosophical, political-juridical, and economic-fraternal dimensions, and subsequently incorporating the Fourfolding approach with its Identity, Relationships, Processes, and Resources dimensions. To conduct the research, a qualitative approach was adopted within a specific community, the Turmalina Rural Waldorf School (TRWS), a non-profit social initiative. The methods used to collect data included Goethe's phenomenological observation, participant observation, and the application of questionnaires with open-ended questions to 13 participating members of TRWS. The research results revealed pertinent issues concerning the organization's identity, with insufficient understanding of anthroposophical philosophy, mission, and values. The school faced an Identity crisis since its foundation, experiencing rapid growth in its early years but also encountering problems such as dropouts, payment defaults, and low attendance at events and activities. In the realm of Relationships, conflicts prevailed, and there were challenges in collectively constructing rules and laws, with a lack of transparency in the actions of the management instances. The research also highlighted the need to improve internal Processes, overcoming bureaucracy, and centralizing communication to foster a more participatory and fluid process. Regarding Resources, the organization faced financial difficulties, exacerbated by the pandemic, revenue fluctuations, and constant changes in the teaching staff. Based on the results, the study suggested intensifying the collective construction of agreements and encouraging the explicit expression of viewpoints and consents to transform conflicts into egalitarian solutions. Additionally, it proposed a pioneering application of the anthroposophical management model, based on Social Threefolding and Fourfolding, to understand the management of an organization as an individual and social "living organism." As a theoretical contribution, the study offered insights into the application of these anthroposophical principles in organizational management, although it was limited to a specific Waldorf school. For future research, it was suggested to expand the scope of the study to other organizations, exploring the feasibility and benefits of applying these principles in different contexts and sectors. This would deepen the knowledge about management based on Anthroposophy and its potential implications in various organizational environments.